April 17th: On this day1960, Touring in the UK, 21-year-old US singer Eddie Cochran was killed when the taxi he was travelling in crashed into a lamppost on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire, (where a plaque now commemorates the event). Songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash, Cochran’s current hit at the time was ‘Three Steps to Heaven’. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sent to prison for six months.
1965, Bob Dylan’s second studio album ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the UK chart. The album opens with ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary.
1970, While performing at the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash was asked to perform “Okie From Muskogee”. Cash declined because it was not his song, but had been a hit for Merle Haggard. Instead, Cash sang his No.1 hit, ‘A Boy Named Sue’.
1970, Santana began sessions for what would be their breakthrough album Abraxas at Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco, California. When released in September of this year, Abraxas peaked at No.1 on the US chart.
1971, All four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with ‘Another Day’, John Lennon ‘Power To The People’, George Harrison ‘My Sweet Lord’ and Ringo Starr ‘It Don’t Come Easy.’
1971, Three Dog Night started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Joy To The World’. The group’s second US No.1; a No.24 hit in the UK.
1973, Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of The Moon went gold in the US. The LP went on to stay in the US chart for more than ten years and became the longest charting rock record of all time.
1974, Vinnie Taylor guitarist with US rock ‘n roll revival band Sha Na Na was found dead in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia from a drug overdose. Sha Na Na played at the Woodstock Festival, their 90-second appearance in the Woodstock film brought the group national attention. The group appeared in the movie Grease as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers.
1975, Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.
1982, Vangelis was at No.1 on the US album chart with Chariots Of Fire, he later also won an Oscar for the album for best original score.
1983, Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with American rock band Mountain was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Pappalardi who was 43 had produced the Cream albums ‘Disraeli Gears’ and ‘Wheels of Fire.’
1987, Reggae drummer and percussion player Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica. Joined Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1970, wrote the Marley song ‘War’. Barrett was the originator of the one-drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style.
1991, Nirvana appeared at the OK Hotel in Seattle, where they played a new song, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, live for the first time. Other local bands such as Mudhoney, Tad, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden all appeared at the club, which has now been turned into a residential property.
1993, David Bowie went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his eighteenth studio album Black Tie White Noise. It was his first solo release in the 1990s after spending time with his hard rock band Tin Machine.
1994, Pink Floyd started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth No.1 album.
1998, Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.
2003, Earl King the New Orleans Blues guitarist died aged 69. King wrote the classic song Come On, (Let The Good Times Roll), covered by Jimi Hendrix.
2004, Kurt Cobain’s Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel guitar sold for $100,000 at the Icons of 20th Century Music auction held in Dallas, Texas. Other items sold included Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s song writing piano which sold for $140,000 and a 1966 Rickenbacker guitar owned by The Byrds Roger McGuinn’s sold for $99,000.
2007, Bryan Ferry was forced to make an apology after praising Nazi iconography in a German magazine. Talking to Welt am Sonntag, he said the Nazis “knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves…I’m talking about the films of Leni Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert Speer and the mass marches and the flags. Just amazing – really beautiful.” British MPs asked shoppers to think twice about shopping in Marks and Spencer asking for Ferry to be dropped as the face of the M&S Autograph menswear collection. Ferry said he was “deeply upset” by the publicity surrounding the interview.
2008, Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen and a member of The E Street Band, died of cancer at the age of 58. Federici had worked with Springsteen for over 40 years, starting with Steel Mill and Child with Springsteen.
2009, Morrissey walked off stage during his set at the Coachella festival in California after declaring he could “smell burning flesh”. The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. Sir Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure also appeared at the event.
2016, Singer Joss Stone postponed shows in the Caribbean to be with her sick dog, which she said was “the closest thing I have to a child”. She said her pet had “made it through the night” but she had to “go back and make sure she was ok”.